Pavlos Marinakis, government spokesperson, responded in sharply confrontational terms to a press conference held by ELAS (Greek Left Coalition), launching a direct attack on Alexis Tsipras and his associates. ‘The only response to all this is that Tsipras’s party has absolutely no credibility,’ Marinakis stated — closing a statement delivered in an unyielding, head-on tone.
Fake News and Populism
Marinakis dismissed the ELAS briefing as a recycling of ‘fake news,’ misleading claims, and populist rhetoric from Tsipras and his team. He argued that Greek voters have already judged SYRIZA’s governance record in both the 2019 and 2023 elections — and are no longer swayed by fresh criticisms of the current administration.
‘Wasted Time Responding to Falsehoods’
The spokesperson said it makes little sense to issue point-by-point rebuttals to ELAS’s assertions on the economy and governance. ‘It’s a waste of time responding to unbelievable fake news, deceptive information, and tired, dangerous populism,’ he said, adding that citizens know the facts and have already delivered their verdict at the ballot box.
Focus on Mati: A Point of Contention
Marinakis chose to focus particularly on ELAS’s references to wildfires — accusing Tsipras of attempting to compare burnt areas between the 2017–2019 period and the current 2023–2025 triennium to suggest his own government’s crisis management was more effective.
‘The man who starred in a tragic communications spectacle the night of the deadly Mati fire — while fully aware people had already died — now proudly touts his government’s performance on hectares burned,’ Marinakis remarked pointedly.
112 Emergency System Now Operational
Marinakis emphasized that the government inherited a weakened General Secretariat for Civil Protection — yet within weeks launched the unified emergency number 112, which he said saves lives daily. He cited the prosecutor’s statement in the Mati trial, noting that had the 112 system been operational then, many lives could have been saved.
He also highlighted improvements to civil protection infrastructure over the past six years: increased staffing in the Hellenic Fire Service, expanded aerial and ground firefighting fleets, and the introduction of drone-based aerial patrols to accelerate wildfire response.
This latest intervention follows ELAS’s press conference — held just hours earlier — where its members presented a broad indictment of the Mitsotakis government covering the economy, cost-of-living pressures, corruption scandals, judicial function, rule of law, and everyday living conditions.